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AcrobatApplication · Adobe

CVE-2016-6938

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2016-09-17
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 15.016.20045 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.0.17, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 15.006.30198, and Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Continuous before 15.017.20050 on Windows and OS X allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-4255.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors. The vulnerability stems from improper memory management where memory is accessed after being freed, potentially allowing attackers to hijack execution flow and achieve code execution.

MitigationUpdate Adobe Reader and Acrobat to version 11.0.17 or later, Classic to 15.006.30198 or later, or Continuous to 15.017.20050 or later on Windows and OS X to remediate this critical vulnerability.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
AcrobatApplication
Affected:<= 11.0.16
Acrobat DcApplication
Affected:<= 15.006.30174<= 15.016.20045
Acrobat Reader DcApplication
Affected:<= 15.006.30174<= 15.016.20045
ReaderApplication
Affected:<= 11.0.16

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check if Adobe Reader or Acrobat is installed
    Open Control Panel > Programs and Features (or Add/Remove Programs) and look for entries containing 'Adobe Acrobat', 'Adobe Reader', or 'Adobe Acrobat DC'. Alternatively, search for acrord32.exe or acrobat.exe in Program Files folders.
    Affected if No Adobe Reader or Acrobat software is found on the system, so this CVE does not apply.
  2. Identify the specific Adobe product installed
    Note whether the installed product is Adobe Reader, Adobe Acrobat (classic), or Adobe Acrobat/Reader DC (Continuous or Classic track). This distinction matters because each has different version numbering and affected ranges.
    Affected if The product is not Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat/Dc.
  3. Determine the installed version number
    In the installed Adobe application, go to Help > About Adobe Acrobat/Reader to display the exact version number and build. On Windows, you can also right-click the executable (acrord32.exe or acrobat.exe) in Program Files, select Properties, and check the Details tab for version information.
    Affected if Unable to determine the version number from the application or executable.
  4. Compare against affected version ranges
    Match your installed version to the affected ranges: Acrobat Classic <= 11.0.16; Acrobat DC Classic <= 15.006.30174; Acrobat DC Continuous <= 15.016.20045; Reader DC Classic <= 15.006.30174; Reader DC Continuous <= 15.016.20045. For DC versions, also check the update track shown in the About dialog.
    Affected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges: Acrobat <= 11.0.16, Acrobat DC Classic <= 15.006.30174, Acrobat DC Continuous <= 15.016.20045, Reader DC Classic <= 15.006.30174, or Reader DC Continuous <= 15.016.20045.
  5. Verify the exact build number for DC products
    For Acrobat DC or Reader DC, the About dialog displays both a version (like 15.x) and a build number (like 15.006.30174). Ensure you compare the full build number, not just the major version, against the affected thresholds.
    Affected if The build number is unknown or incomplete, preventing accurate comparison.

You are affected if Adobe Reader or Acrobat (any variant) is installed with a version or build number at or below the thresholds listed for your specific product and update track.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 15.016.20045
Interim mitigation

Update Adobe Reader and Acrobat to version 11.0.17 or later, Classic to 15.006.30198 or later, or Continuous to 15.017.20050 or later on Windows and OS X to remediate this critical vulnerability.

Recommended fix High confidence

11.0.17 (11.x) | 15.006.30198 (DC Classic) | 15.017.20050 (DC Continuous) - depending on product and track

  1. 1. Determine the installed Adobe product (Acrobat or Reader), version family (11.x, DC Classic, or DC Continuous), and exact version number
  2. 2. For Acrobat/Reader 11.x: Upgrade to version 11.0.17 or later
  3. 3. For Acrobat/Reader DC Classic: Upgrade to version 15.006.30198 or later
  4. 4. For Acrobat/Reader DC Continuous: Upgrade to version 15.017.20050 or later
  5. 5. Download the appropriate update from the official Adobe security bulletin or helpx.adobe.com
  6. 6. Apply the update and restart the application
  7. 7. Verify the installed version matches or exceeds the fixed release for your product track
Caveat Standard upgrade risk - ensure compatibility with existing PDF workflows and dependent systems before deployment in production

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Acrobat Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2016-6938 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data